1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vacuum cleaner, and more particularly, to a cyclone dust collecting apparatus for use in a vacuum cleaner that separates contaminants from air by a centrifugal force and collecting the separated dust.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, an upright type or canister type vacuum cleaner has a suction brush connected to a cleaner body and moved along the cleaning surface. The cleaner has a dust collecting chamber in which a dust filter is removably mounted, and a motor driving chamber in which a motor is mounted to provide a suction force. In the vacuum cleaner of the above construction, when the motor is driven, a strong suction force is generated at the suction brush. By the suction force, air laden with contaminants or dust of the cleaning surface is drawn into-the cleaning body. After being drawn into the cleaner body, the air flows through the dust filter mounted in the dust collecting chamber of the cleaner body, and at this time, the contaminant or dust are filtered at the dust filter. Then the air is discharged out via the motor driving chamber.
However, the problem is that a user of the conventional vacuum cleaner has to buy the dust filters that are consumables, in order to ensure the appropriate collecting of the dust or contaminant. Also, when the dust filter is full of contaminants, the user has to change the dust filter with his/her own hands, which is quite unhygienic and inconvenient.
The present invention has been made to overcome the above-mentioned problems of the related art, and accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a cyclone dust collecting apparatus for use in a vacuum cleaner that could separate dust and contaminant from the air drawn into a cleaner body through a suction brush by a centrifugal force and collecting the separated dust and contaminant.
In order to accomplish the above object of the present invention, in a cyclone dust collecting apparatus for use in a vacuum cleaner, mounted in a dust collecting chamber intercommunicating with a motor driving chamber of a cleaner body, for separating contaminants from an air that is drawn in through a suction brush by a centrifugal force, the cyclone dust collecting apparatus according to the present invention includes: a contaminant receptacle having a contaminant chamber and an air discharge chamber, the contaminant chamber and the air discharge chamber respectively having open upper sides and partitioned from each other; a cyclone unit connected to an upper portion of the contaminant receptacle in a manner of covering the contaminant chamber and the air discharge chamber, the cyclone unit having a hole corresponding to, respectively, an incoming air port through which foreign substance laden air flows in, a centrifuging chamber for separating the foreign substances from the air by a centrifugal effect, a contaminant discharge port through which the separated foreign substances are discharged, an outgoing air port through which cleaned air that is left after separation of the foreign substances is discharged out, and the air discharge chamber; and a duct member connected to the upper portion of the cyclone unit, and having an air inflow channel that is connected to the incoming air port and an air outflow channel that interconnects the outgoing air port with the hole.
The cyclone unit includes a centrifuging receptacle having an open upper end and a closed lower end, and a cylindrical side having the contaminant discharge port formed therein; a cover plate connected to an outside of the centrifuging receptacle, covering the contaminant chamber and the air discharge chamber, the cover plate having the hole formed therein; and a cap cover removably mounted on the centrifuging receptacle in a manner of covering the open end of the centrifuging receptacle, the cap cover having the incoming air port and the outgoing air port.
The cyclone unit also includes a grill member having an open upper end intercommunicating with the incoming air port of the cap cover, and a plurality of fine holes formed in a side, and mounted in an interior of the centrifuging receptacle.
The grill member includes a cylindrical body integrally formed on a bottom of the centrifuging receptacle, and having open upper and lower ends; and a lower cover connected to cover the open lower end of the cylindrical body.
The outgoing air port is formed in the center of the cap cover, and the incoming air port is formed at an end of an air guide groove that is formed in near to the outgoing air port in a spiral manner.
The centrifuging receptacle has one or more locking groove formed in the upper end, and the locking groove receives a locking protrusions protruding from a rim of the cap cover to be locked in the locking groove.
The cap cover has at least a pair of handle holes formed in an upper side of the cap cover, for rotating the cap cover for locking/unlocking of the cap cover.
The cover plate and the centrifuging receptacle are integrally formed with each other.
In between the cyclone unit and the duct member, a sealing member is provided.